Kung Fu Panda 2

UPC: 752919553060

Platform: Xbox 360

Publisher: THQ, Inc.

Developer: Griptonite Games

Category: Fighting

Style(s): 3D Fighting

Synopsis: Released in conjunction with DreamWorks Animation's computer animated film, Kung Fu Panda 2 finds panda bear Po and the "Furious Five" on another quest to save kung fu. The Xbox 360 version of the game requires the Kinect motion-sensing peripheral, allowing players to practice moves like blocking, dodging, ducking, punching, and kicking to prepare them for hands-free combat against a variety of new enemies designed specifically for the game. As players move in front of the Kinect, Po will follow each action. ~ Scott Alan Marriott, All Game Guide

Package Contents: 12-page Instruction Manual

Controls: Joystick/Gamepad

Kung Fu Panda 2 is a Kinect-only fighting game that offers both a story mode and free play option. The latter consists of mini-games that unlock after completing certain levels in the story mode, while the former finds Po battling an assortment of enemies after the events in the film. The game is essentially a series of one-on-one bouts that involve punching with your left and right arms, kicking with your left and right legs, and performing blocking maneuvers by holding one or both arms up in the air. Instead of being a more interactive version of Punch-Out!, where you'd string together quick combos in real time, the combat in Kung Fu Panda 2 is exceptionally, painfully slow. Perhaps this was intentional to give younger audiences time to react, but it's more than likely due to the inability of the developers to get quick response times out of the device. As a result, there are slight delays between your action and Po's execution, but since your enemies move just as slowly, you're not penalized for it in the game. When enemies attempt to dodge your attack, they will enter a slow-motion phase that allows you to follow up your attack with a kick or a double kick, which is performed by a slight hop. The problem is the fights don't seem to be completely under your control. Onscreen cues will tell you to perform a specific action, for instance, instead of allowing players to come up with their own battle plan. Blocking, which supposedly works by lifting up your left or right arm, is so poorly recognized that you have to do flapping motions to get it to work. Once you've sufficiently hurt the opponent, you can perform a finishing move, but rather than let players go nuts on their foe, the game forces users to mimic a specific pose (each corresponding to a fighting style). Follow the pose, which simply involves raising or lowering your arms, and Po will automatically execute the attack. Then it's a heaping helping of more of the same, with the only real difference in subsequent fights being the type of creature you battle. At times you can call on one of the Furious Five for assistance, which literally involves calling their names as they appear in a cinematic, but the combat never improves. In fact, when you take into account all of the cinematic sequences and lengthy loading screens, it feels like you're watching the game more than playing. While Jack Black's voice work as Po is a positive, Kung Fu Panda 2 is two hours of noodle-numbing repetition, sluggish delays, and simplistic action. ~ Scott Alan Marriott, All Game Guide

the game requires Joystick/Gamepad.